Skangas has made the first delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for Polaris – the world's first LNG-powered icebreaker. Polaris is a dual-fuel icebreaker using LNG as the primary fuel and diesel as a reserve fuel. Using LNG results in considerable reductions in the vessel’s particulate, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. The world’s most environmentally friendly icebreaker was bunkered from two LNG road tankers at Helsinki’s Vuosaari Harbor on June 18–19, 2016 before her first sea trial on LNG.

”Polaris will provide a major increase in security for Finland’s winter navigation – with an added bonus of being powered with environmentally friendly LNG. We’re determined to ensure the efficient and reliable year-round operability of shipping for Finland’s businesses,” says Jarkko Toivola, Head of Winter Navigation Unit at the Finnish Transport Agency.

“Polaris represents a new generation of Baltic Sea icebreakers. The special hull design and propulsion arrangement coupled with high power ensure the best icebreaking capacity in the Baltic Sea as well as excellent manoeuvrability,” says Esko Mustamäki, Managing Director of Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, builder of Polaris.

”This is the world's first LNG-powered icebreaker. LNG is excellently suited for use as a marine fuel as it's a great alternative to oil, and being environmentally friendly is one of its strengths. Once Finland's first LNG terminal is opened in August, the vessel can also be bunkered directly from the terminal, or bunkering can take place from road tankers at ports around the country,” says Skangas Sales and Marketing Director Tommy Mattila.

LNG is the most environmentally friendly shipping fuel and meets the requirements set by the Sulphur Directive for shipping as well as the stricter emission limits of the future. LNG can be also used to replace the use of petroleum-based fuels in industry, energy production and heavy-duty transport. Using LNG instead of oil helps achieve significant cuts in particulate as well as sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions. The use of LNG also enables a switch to liquefied biogas (LBG) without any additional investments.

In 2015 Skangas supplied a total of 376 700 tonnes (5.2 TWh) of LNG in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Skangas has a LNG production plant and terminal in Risavika, Norway, LNG terminals in Øra, Norway and Lysekil, Sweden, and the Skangas terminal in Finland, Pori will be opened in August 2016. Progress in the construction of the Tornio MangaLNG joint project is being made as planned, and the terminal will be completed in Tornio, Finland, in 2018.